Naruto: Brethren of Fangs
by xNamikazeKyuubix
Summary: AU! Dumped on a cold night, already spent money on the engagement ring, attacked by a psycophatic werewolf and then cursed by said werewolf. Just how unlucky can Uzumaki Naruto be? Is the curse really a curse? Or a blessing in disguise? An uprising and a conspiracy? Will Naruto be able to handle everything? What does his sister have to do with this? Read on to find out! Original!
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Naruto characters but everything else is mine!**

**I am really, really, really sorry for disappearing for so long everyone! Life has been just so hectic lately and... I'll spare you all my excuses and just jump straight to the point. This baby popped into my head right out of the blue and I could not help but write it down, before I know it, a chapter was written out before me!**

**Pairings are still a little iffy on this one... so let me know who you want to see paired with our favourite blond!**

**Without further ado, I present to you my first 'relatively' original story!**

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Prologue: New Moon

The rustling of leaves could be heard as a cold breeze swept through the park, the narrow concrete walkways illuminated by dimly-lit lamps that hung from metal frames. The soft white glow of the moon seemed to give everything it touched an ethereal glow, even the gentle rippling motions of the lake was made into a beautiful spectacle.

Clear cerulean-blue eyes marvelled at the simple yet elegant atmosphere that seemed to surround him, his spiky blond hair ruffling slightly upon the breeze. He had an angular face with a tanned complexion that was nearly free from any blemishes, the only thing that marred his nearly flawless complexion were the three whisker-like scars on both his cheeks. His ears twitched subtly as the sound of footsteps upon wooden planks could be heard behind him, his eyes never leaving the lake as he opened his mouth and let out a sigh.

"Why did you call me out here this late... Hinata?" His voice whilst youthful in nature held an undertone of annoyance and fatigue.

The person to whom he was speaking to turned out to be a teenaged female around his age, with straight navy-blue hair that fell to her back and lavender-coloured eyes. Her face was both angular yet soft with a pale, flawless complexion that gave her the look of a princess or some form of royalty.

"Naruto..." Her voice was soft and meek, yet elegant and only reinforced the image of royalty.

"Please say what you have to and get this over with, I have had an extremely exhausting day and really want to rest right now..." Naruto said bluntly as he shoved his hands into his jean's pocket, silently cursing himself for forgetting to bring his gloves.

Confronted in such a blunt manner, the girl seemed to falter a little with hesitation clear in her eyes before taking a deep breath and calming herself. The next moment she opened her eyes and looked directly at him, those lavender orbs filled with determination and a clear-cut goal.

"Naruto... I want to break up with you."

The blond-haired boy's eyes widened in shock as he processed the statement, all forms of exhaustion and fatigue fled his system when he finally digested the words. His posture straightened as he regarded the slightly trembling girl before him, her gloved hands clenching and unclenching at her sides in nervousness.

"Why?"

His response was simple, eloquent and to the point.

"Well... you're always so apathetic in everything we do, you never seem happy when we meet, you're always cancelling our dates, always disappearing off somewhere without telling me..." Hinata would have continued ranting on if he had not gestured for her to stop with a mildly annoyed glare.

"Hyuuga Hinata, need I remind you who it was that wanted to start this relationship? It was you who came up to me and confessed your feelings to me despite knowing my attitude and personality. I merely accepted to see where this relationship of ours would lead to, I never held any feelings for you at first."

"I wanted to help you break out of your cold personality, to help you make more friends and be happier! Why can't you see that all I wanted to do was make you happy?!" Hinata raised her voice slightly as tears leaked out of her eyes.

"By dragging me along to theatres and plays, by dragging me along on you and your friends' shopping trips and making me pay for all the purchases? Or do you mean threatening my best friend Sakura to stay away from me? How about the time you threw away my stuff to 'clean' my room?" Naruto growled as his eyes narrowed.

"I thought you enjoyed doing all those things with me and I was just making sure that Sakura didn't snatch you away from me!"

"Did you even bother asking me about the things I enjoy doing? I merely went along with it like a 'good' boyfriend should, not once even complaining when your shopping trips nearly clean out my bank. And for the last time, Sakura is my childhood friend and she is more like a younger sister to me!"

"...Sasuke didn't seem to mind when I did those things with him." She mumbled as her gaze drifted away.

Realisation burned in his clear blue eyes, "In the end it all boils down to another guy, you could have saved me the crap and just told me you were cheating on me."

"Sasuke has been attentive to me, he enjoys my company and he shows his love for me!"

"Not even going to bother denying it huh?" Naruto whispered as he gazed apathetically at her.

"Why would I? He has been more of a boyfriend to me within a month than you have been for two entire years!" Hinata countered with a heated glare.

"So you've been seeing him behind my back for a month now..."

"Yeah, what about it?"

"Nothing... I wish you two all the best." He said over his shoulder as he turned around to walk away.

"Is that it? You're not even going to beg for forgiveness or attempt to make up with me?!" Hinata asked in a pained voice.

"Why would I? You made it absolutely clear that I was a horrible boyfriend and that you are much happier with Sasuke, so why should I bother?" Naruto called back as he started walking away.

"That's why Sasuke will always be a better man than you, you... you stupid emotionless, parentless bastard!" She screamed after him in rage causing him to stop.

He looked back over his shoulder, his one visible eye devoid of life as he offered her a crooked smile. His next words so soft that she almost missed them if not for the breeze that carried them over, his voice strangely amused.

"I'm glad that you found someone better than me. After all, I am just a nobody talentless orphan that has had to care for himself and his younger sister when our parents perished in a car accident a year after her birth. Don't let my orphan trash of a self taint your presence any longer Hyuuga-san..."

With his parting words said, Uzumaki Naruto walked off into the dark chilly night with his crimson scarf around his neck bellowing behind him.

As he walked the desolate streets back to his apartment, the blond-haired male pulled out a small black velvet box from his pocket and flipped it open. Sitting on a cushion of silk was a beautiful ruby ring, the oddly crimson gem glistening brightly. The ring had cost him a hefty hundred and thirty-thousand yen (130,000Y), which was not much compared to most other people.

However given that he had a monthly pay of only sixty-five thousand yen (65,000Y), which he already had to use to pay for the house rent, the bills as well as daily necessities. So he had taken up several odd jobs at night to supplement his income, some legal and others not so legal. The end result was him not getting enough rest, making him rather unsociable during the day.

Using all the saved up cash, he had bought the ring and planned on proposing to her soon.

"Looks like that plan is shot huh..." He asked nobody in particular as he closed the box and slipped it back into his pocket.

A brief glance at his watch showed that it was currently one in the morning, the roads were deserted and he only had the full moon above him for company. Entering his neighbourhood, his eyes narrowed as he picked up the sound of laboured breathing.

'It sounds like panting... someone out for a late night jog?' Naruto reasoned to himself as he looked around, shrugging as he found nothing.

As he walked, he could feel his sixth sense alerting him that somebody was watching him. Again he paused to scrutinise the area around him, yet again finding nobody or anything out of place. He resumed his walk at a brisker pace, unable to shake the paranoia of being watched by someone.

Once or twice he thought that he had even heard the soft footfalls of someone behind him, only to be proven wrong when he spun around to check. Shoving his hands deep into his pockets, he sighed as he trudged forward at a normal pace again.

'What's wrong with me... the lack of sleep must be finally affecting my brain.' Naruto rationalised as he passed by an alleyway.

A sudden sound echoed through the alley causing him to leap backwards with his arms and body dropping into a Muay Thai stance, eyes carefully tracing every nook and cranny of the alley. His body sagged in relief when a black cat emerged from behind the dumpster, his tense muscles unwinding as he sighed.

"It was just a stupid ca-"

The rest of the sentence was lost when the wind was driven from his lungs by something smashing into his side, knocking him straight through the air and into the pole of a street lamp. A grunt of pain escaped his lips as he hauled himself back up to his feet, only for his eyes to widen when he noticed his attacker.

Standing at a staggering nine foot tall, dark brown fur covered its entire frame from head to toe and from muzzle to tail. Sharpened claws adorned its hands and feet with razor-sharp teeth glinting in the moonlight, sickly-green eyes with black-slitted pupils stared at him.

"My luck cannot be that bad..." Naruto muttered as he regarded the powerful beast before him, it was an honest-to-god werewolf. 'And it's currently eyeing me like a piece of meat... and not in a good way.'

The massive wolf-man lifted his muzzle and sniffed the air before puffing up his chest and letting loose a terrifying howl into the night sky. Naruto used this distraction as an opportunity to start running, his adrenaline pumping as his sneaked-clad feet pounded against the solid concrete sidewalk. Feeling his sixth sense going off again, he quickly dropped into an evasive roll just as the werewolf soared over his head.

The beast skidded to a stop in front of him, muzzle open and panting as saliva dripped onto the pavement. Seeing no other option, Naruto cracked his neck before settling into his Muay Thai stance again.

"Okay you mangy mongrel, you want to dance? Let's dance!"

Letting out another howl, the wolf-man swiped at him with his deadly claws. Combining some of his kendo training, he quickly side-stepped or ducked to evade the attacks. Sensing a lull in the attacks, Naruto released a devastating right hook to the beast's muzzle followed by a left hook and finished off with a strong right uppercut.

The combo sent the werewolf reeling back with a snarl; the blond was already on the attack before the creature could recover. Snapping three consecutive kicks to the left thigh, arm and head causing the werewolf's head to swerve to the right with blood flying from its mouth. Naruto followed through by allowing his right leg to continue its momentum, landing squarely on his right heel to pivot his entire body and slamming a powerful roundhouse kick to the back of the head using his left foot.

Stumbling forward and spitting blood, the fur-clad monster smirked as it drew itself back up to its full height. Preparing for another round, the blond was shocked when words seemed to flow from the beast's muzzle.

"**You surprise me boy, not many humans can stand up to us Lycanthropes... not to mention that fewer manage to even harm one with their bare hands." **The voice was rough and punctuated by growling noises but the words were clear enough for him to make out.

"Why are you attacking me? Wait how are you even talking? Better yet, werewolves are real?!" Naruto asked rapidly as he had a mini-panic attack from the revelation of a talking wolf-man.

"**We prefer the proper term Lycanthropes than that disgusting human name for our kind. Our kind has always been able to talk; it's just that we have never had the need to communicate to... lower life-forms such as yourself. As for attacking you... I was merely looking for a midnight snack and you were the first one I saw." **The beast chuckled in amusement.

"Sorry but I am not going to lie down and let you chow down. How about a knuckle sandwich instead?" Naruto growled as he cracked his knuckles in preparation.

"**Settle down pup, I decided not to eat you. However I have something much more interesting in mind... something that will change your life. For better or worst... well that's up to you to decide."**

"How about I take a rain-check on that offer and just walk away with the not eating me option."

"**Brat, you say that like I'm giving you a choice..."**

Naruto widened his eyes when the towering lycanthrope in front of him literally vanished in a blur of speed, only to feel the hot breath of said lycanthrope on his bare neck.

"**Enjoy the gift and... happy hunting!"**

A strangled shout escaped his lips as he felt the sharp fangs sink into his shoulder through his shirt, he could feel liquid fire running through his veins as his heart pumped on overtime. His eyes started dilating before his pupils shrank into a vertical black slit as his teeth and nails sharpened, his body violently jerking every few seconds until the beast released its jaws.

The body of the blond fell to the ground in a sprawl as blood soaked his shirt, the changes that occurred slowly reverting back to normal. A coughing fit racked through his throat as he spat out blood, blue eyes filled with anger turned towards the creature that had bit him.

"Bastard... what did you... do to me?"

"**As I said a gift or a curse, it is entirely up to you upon how you view it..." **The lycanthrope turned around and growled over its shoulder. **"My name is Kensei... remember it well."**

"Ken-sei..." Naruto whispered as he struggled back up to his feet, an unknown force giving him the strength as he slowly staggered home. "I'm going to... kill that son of a bitch..."

After half an hour or so of struggling in agonising pain, he finally made it back to the double-storey apartment that he and his younger sister lived in. Staggering up the stairs, he fumbled with his keys as he felt his strength draining and managed to get the door open to meet the angry gaze of his sister.

"Hah... tadaima (I'm back)..." He managed to get out before collapsing face-first onto the floor unconscious.

Said sister's POV (5 minutes prior)

Uzumaki Kyuubi was definitely not your typical teenager, having inherited her mother's crimson hair and amethyst eyes. Those traits along with her natural beauty and being an early bloomer in the body department at the adolescent age of fifteen, pretty much made her the most popular girl in her school. Not only looks but she had also inherited her father's intellect, scoring only A's for all her examinations and tests.

Compared to her eighteen-year old brother Naruto, the only common thing they shared was their athletic ability and their outstanding looks. He usually scored an average B for his school work, hardly interacted with his peers except for a few close friends and got into fights quite often. They were like almost complete opposites of each other, on opposite sides of the spectrum.

Yet they were closer than any other siblings, especially with Naruto having single-handedly raised her from the moment their parents had died. He had learnt to cook, do the laundry, mend torn clothes and clean the house over the years. Even taking up a part-time job at a nearby coffee joint to earn the money to pay for their needs, everything for her sake.

Not necessary to say that Kyuubi was extremely attached to her older brother, him being the main supporting pillar in her life. Which was why she hated Hyuuga Hinata for snatching her beloved brother away from her, with her around, he ended up spending less time around the house.

'Stupid no-good rich hussy... who does she think she is?! Just barging into our lives and snatching my Onii-chan away from me...' Kyuubi sulked on the small sofa in the equally small living room.

The young redhead had been awoken by her brother's ringtone and pretended to be asleep as she eavesdropped on his conversation with his 'girlfriend' since they slept in the same room. She had heard the one-sided argument and heard her brother change and stomp off, not before giving her a peck on the forehead though.

'Ah Onii-chan is such a caring person...' Kyuubi giggled to herself before a frown marred her perfect features.

Her thoughts went back to the nights when she would see her older brother come back home late with multiple bruises adorning his face and body, sometimes even with knife wounds and torn shirts. She remembered the time she had confronted him about it.

"_Onii-chan... why are you doing this?" Kyuubi asked sadly as she applied disinfectant to his wounds, earning a sharp hiss in response._

"_Imouto-chan, there are just some things that a man must do." He responded vaguely._

"_I don't like seeing you hurt Nii-chan..."_

"_...then I promise that I won't get hurt again."_

Her brother had never broken a promise and did not do so with that one either, he had trained his body into the ground learning Muay Thai and Kendo. And as promised, he always came back home without a scratch on him except for some bruised knuckles but even that stopped after a while.

'Baka-nii-chan... why do you go through all that trouble for that stupid bitch...' Kyuubi thought sourly before the jingling of keys could be heard and she quickly leapt up and stood before the door with a faux angry expression on her face.

As she was about to lecture him about wandering off at night, the words died in her throat as the angry expression washed off her face when the door opened to show a blood-soaked body.

"Hah...tadaima..."

Kyuubi was at her brother's side not even a second after his body had hit the ground, her eyes frantically darting all over his blood-soaked shirt as she felt tears prickling her eyes.

"Onii-chan...? Please say something!" She shouted in worry as she gripped his arm as her breathing and heartbeat started going erratic, she quickly calmed down with some deep-breathing exercises to analyse the situation.

Silently thanking her brother for signing her up for those Tae-Kwan-Do lessons at the local community club, she lifted his body up and dragged him over to the small bathroom. She quickly ripped his bloody shirt apart to expose his bare torso, quickly identifying the multiple large puncture wounds along his left shoulder and a similar set on his back.

"Naruto-nii..." Kyuubi whispered in worry as she grabbed the showerhead and quickly hosed his body down to get rid of the blood, taking note of the strange way that the puncture wounds did not seem to be bleeding.

Grabbing the bottle of disinfectant of the medicinal shelf, she quickly soaked a clean cloth and dabbed at the wounds. Earning herself a flinch each time her brother flinched when she applied the alcohol, she finished up by bandaging his left shoulder along with his upper torso and securing it tightly.

Admiring her work, she finally took notice off her brother's half naked state. Her eyes trailed along his well-defined biceps, shoulders, neck to his muscular chest and six-pack abdominals. She barely noticed when her tongue darted out and licked at her lips before the realisation hit her and she shook her head free of the thoughts.

'Was I just... ogling my own brother?'

Throwing the oddly satisfying thought to the back of her mind, she hefted the injured blond up again and into their shared bedroom and deposited him gently onto his bed. Positioning him into a sleeping posture that wouldn't aggravate his wounds, she pulled the blanket up to his stomach before kissing him gently on the forehead.

"Goodnight baka-aniki..."

Setting her alarm clock for the morning, Kyuubi crawled under her own blanket and curled up facing her brother. Watching his peaceful sleeping expression, a small smile crept up her face as she fell asleep.

An undisclosed location

Four massive lycanthropes stood around a circular stone table, behind each of them stood two equally large lycans serving as bodyguards. The first of the four had dark grey fur, with strips of lighter grey flowing through it and clear amber eyes with their usual black vertical-slit pupil.

The second had fur as brown as the earth itself with a tuft of tan fur sprouting around his neck, his dark-green eyes observing his fellow lycanthropes.

The third had a more feminine appearance as well as having silver fur that radiated in the moonlight; she had piercing emerald eyes and a scar that ran across her muzzle.

The fourth and final member had fur as black as the night sky; he only had one glacier-blue eye as the other was closed with a nasty-looking scar running across it down to the corner of his mouth.

These four were the leaders of the four most prominent lycanthrope clans, also known as the Four Ancestor clans. The first being Kodoku of the Kairō clan, they could be distinguished by their distinctive mixed grey fur. The second being Daichi of the Shinrin clan, distinguished by their earthly-brown coloured fur. The third being the only female of the group was Netami of the Gintsuki clan, identifiable by their unique silver fur. The fourth being Yonaka of the Mugetsu clan, identified by their jet-black fur that blended with the shadows.

"**We are gathered here today because one of my scouts has discovered something disturbing..."** Netami begin as she gazed at each of her brethren.

"**And pray tell, what was it that he found that could warrant such a short-noticed Ancestral gathering?" **Kodoku asked in annoyance.

"**If you'd keep that trap of yours shut for more than two seconds, perhaps I would be able to explain!"** Netami snarled in response causing the Kairō clan leader to bare his fangs.

"**Calm down both of you... Netami please inform us of this disturbing thing your scout has found."** Daichi growled in a low wizened voice.

"**As I was saying, I had sent a scouting party to the old ruins of Torikabuto castle to investigate some rumours that the local lycanthropes had spread. Apparently they could smell death and decay coming from within the castle ruins, their own scouting parties failed to return... and only one of mine did." **Netami's voice dropped into a grave tone.

"**What was it that your scout had discovered?" **Yonaka asked, his one good eye burning with curiosity.

"**Nothing good I can assure you... she had found the dead bodies of many humans and lycans alike. They seemed to be drained of blood and several of them had started rotting... further in the scouting party had encountered necromancers that had a squad of undead lycanthropes with them..."**

"**BLASPHEMY! Those human scums dare to defile the corpses and souls of our brethren?!" **Kodoku slammed a fist onto the stone table, cracking it slightly.

"**That's not the worst part... those resurrected lycans. They bore the armour and mark of the Torikabuto clan... the fifth Ancestor clan that we had banished and exiled long ago..." **Netami closed her eyes as gasps of astonishment escaped all the lycanthropes in the clearing. **"That's not the end... nor is it the worst part..."**

"**What could possibly be worse than some filthy human necromancers resurrecting the souls of the most bloodthirsty and dangerous clan that had ever existed..." **Yonaka asked with worry in his voice.

"**They let my scout escape with a message... she was barely alive when she had stumbled into my clan's territory. Only after several hours with the clan's best healers was she stable enough to speak..."**

"**What was her message?" **Daichi asked the million-dollar question.

Netami looked at each of them gravely as she spoke up with dread filling her voice.

"**Let blood rain upon the lands once more as the Torikabuto reclaims what is rightfully ours! We rise from our resting place to reap our vengeance upon those who cast us out! And from the depths of hell let our demon king rise! Scream, cower and despair! For Nobunaga Torikabuto has arisen once more!"**

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**That is the first chapter of my first ever Alternate Universe fanfiction, featuring of course characters from the Narutoverse. However the storyline will be mostly original, maybe mixing in a little from here and there but not so much that you would even notice. Who is Nobunaga Torikabuto? Well you have to stay tuned to find out!**

**So the basic rundown of this universe, Naruto and Kyuubi are siblings born from Namikaze Minato and Uzumaki Kushina. The reason why they go under their mother's family name will be revealed in later chapters. Both Minato and Kushina were killed in a car accident when Kyuubi was one year old, she and Naruto lived in an orphanage until Naruto was twelve and she was nine.**

**Contemplating if I should include vampires in this or not... really having mixed feelings on this since Twilight sucks but Hellsing rocks. Though I do feel that vampires have been getting too much spotlight... so readers, yes or no? Let me know in the reviews below!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto but I do own this storyline and my OCs.**

**Here is the next instalment of Brethren of Fangs, I really appreciate the feedback people so keep them coming!**

**On the vampire topic, you guys seem to be split down the middle. Some want powerful vampires along the lines of Alucard of Hellsing to be in, whilst the others want a purely Lycanthrope story. So on this note; I shall leave the debate open for a few more chapters so please review with an explanation about your choice!**

**Sorry if this chapter is not as action-packed as you might want, this is merely the beginning so setting up the character's personalities as well as relationships is important. So please enjoy!**

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Chapter 1: Newfound Instincts

_Dark grey clouds obscuring the beautiful full moon_

_Darkness covers the land without the moon's ethereal light_

_Fires burning in the distance, the stench of blood and smoke wafting through the air_

_Massive bipedal wolf creatures at war with each other_

_My hands, claws, stained in blood _

_Standing over the fallen body of my enemy, howling my victory to the night sky_

_In the distance I see a monster amongst monsters stand_

_Piercing crimson eyes filled with madness staring straight into my soul_

"NO!"

A terrified shout echoed through the room, blue-eyes widened in panic searching the room for any immediate danger as he drew panting breaths through his mouth. His spiky blond locks matted down slightly with sweat, which cascaded down his face in small rivulets.

'W-what the hell was that...?' Naruto thought to himself as he calmed down, placing his face in his hands only to feel a twinge of pain coming from his left shoulder.

Looking down, he finally took notice of the bandages surrounding his shoulder and upper torso. He was rewarded with a sharp stab of pain when he ran his right hand along the wounded portion of his shoulder.

'Looks like last night wasn't a dream...' Naruto sighed as he swung his legs off the bed and onto the wooden floor. 'That means Kyuubi must have patched me up last night.'

Thinking about his younger sister, he let out a chuckle when he noticed her sleeping with her mouth open and a trail of drool flowing down the corner of her lips.

"Ara..." A cute yawn escaped the sleeping redhead's lips as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes.

"Sorry Imouto-chan, did I wake you?"

Droopy eyes gazed around the small room blearily before settling on the amused visage of her elder brother, a few more seconds elapsed before her brain booted up and her eyes flew open.

"Onii-chan! You shouldn't be straining yourself with a wound like that!" She yelled in concern whilst fussing over him, making sure the bandages were still in place and tight.

"Thanks for taking care of me last night... even though I promised that I wouldn't get hurt anymore..." Naruto said as he clenched his fist in frustration.

"I...I was really worried when I saw you last night Aniki... there was so much blood..." Kyuubi sniffled as she gripped his bed sheet tightly in her grasp.

Naruto's eyes softened as he placed a hand atop his sister's head and ruffled he hair, "I really am a terrible brother for making my Imouto worry so much... will you forgive me?"

"Baka-aniki, you will never be a terrible brother... but I won't forgive you so easily either!" Kyuubi huffed with faux anger as she stood up and glared down at him.

"Aha... so what do you want me to do to earn your forgiveness?" He asked with nervous smile.

Looking down at him with a smirk, she poked him lightly on the chest and gestured to the bed.

"For now, I want you to rest up. I already contacted your school and informed them that you would not be able to make it today due to an accident. As for making it up to me... there's the new Fairy Tail movie airing this Saturday in cinemas and you are going to take me to watch it!"

"Sure, did you also contact Daisuke-san at my workplace?"

"Ah I knew I forgot something! Don't worry I'll pop by the place on my way to school and inform him, so you just take it easy for the day alright?" Kyuubi glared at him, knowing about his reckless attitude towards his own health.

"Ahaha... of course..." Naruto replied with a nervous chuckle. 'Damn, when did Kyuubi get so scary... must have inherited it from Kaa-chan...'

"Well I'm going to go get ready for school." She told him as she grabbed her uniform and left for the shower, leaving him alone with his thoughts.

'Even though she didn't ask, I know she was curious about what happened last night... how do I even explain it to her? That I was attacked by a monster from fictional stories... looks like I have to think of something else...' The blond-haired male racked his brain as he struggled to come up with a believable cover story.

'What was up with that were- lycanthrope? I thought those creatures existed in mythology and fiction only but I was mauled by an honest-to-kami wolf-man last night... getting dumped and mauled by a fictional creature in the same night, how unlucky can I get?' Naruto sighed in resignation before suddenly perking up as he retrieved the black velvet box from his pocket.

"Now what am I supposed to do with you...?" Naruto asked aloud to himself as he gazed intently at the small black box within his palm. 'Well I could always sell it back and get some cash refund... or I could keep it until I find someone perfect for me...'

Deciding to keep the ring, he placed it within the drawer of the small wooden table beside his bed. After a quick flexing of his body, he found that only his left shoulder really hurt when exerted too much so he decided to head into the small kitchen of their rented apartment. Rummaging around the barely stocked fridge yielded some eggs as well as a carton of orange juice; he quickly set about making breakfast.

Kyuubi exited the shower towelling her vibrant red hair dry, dressed in the black sailor-like uniform of her school. Immediately the faint aroma of fried eggs wafted into her vicinity, happily skipping towards the destination lead by her nose. She found her brother skilfully handling the frying pan with just his right hand; a pair of plates was set up on the table along with a pair of glasses and cutlery.

"Breakfast is served!" Naruto declared cheerfully as he scraped the scrambled eggs onto their separate plates and dumping the pan into the sink to be washed later.

"Seriously Onii-chan, I told you to take it easy and you go and do this..." Kyuubi deadpanned as she shook her head.

"Well if you don't want it..."

"NO!" She shouted and threw her hands around her plate to protect it, only to blush when she realised her actions. "I mean... since you already went through the trouble of preparing all this..."

"Admit it... you love my cooking!" Naruto smirked as he waved his fork at her.

Kyuubi pouted at him with a faint blush on her cheeks, "Obviously, your cooking is the best... even my friends say so!"

"Your friends?"

"Yeah on the days that you make a bento for me to bring to school, they always want to steal some from me. One of them even mentioned that with your skill in cooking, you could open your own restaurant or café." She giggled when she saw her brother rub the back of his head, a gesture that he only did when he was embarrassed.

"Ah... I don't think I'm that good yet..."

The rest of their breakfast was filled with light-hearted banter, until the clock struck eight and thus alerting the siblings about the time.

"I'm leaving! Make sure you take care of yourself okay?" Kyuubi called from the doorway as she slipped on her shoes, her red backpack slung over her shoulder.

"Yeah, have a good day at school!" Naruto replied with a shout from the kitchen, where he was cleaning up the plates.

With Kyuubi at school

The redhead sighed as she gazed out the window on her left, her mind barely able to focus on the subject that her teacher was currently revising. Her thoughts were plagued by her brother, worry as well as curiosity forefront on her mind.

'Onii-chan... What happened last night that got you so injured?'

"Psst, Kyuubi!"

Her thoughts were interrupted by a harsh whisper to her right; she looked over to see her best friend Matatabi looking at her in concern. Matatabi looked a lot like her; they could even have passed off as twin sisters except for their hair and eye colour. Matatabi had wavy dark-blue hair with light-blue highlights running through it; her eyes were a stunning emerald colour.

"What?"

"You were spacing out and you never do that unless you have something important on your mind." Matatabi whispered whilst pretending to take down notes.

Rolling her eyes at her best friend's over-curious nature, "Even if I did have something on my mind, why should it concern you?"

"Mou, Kyuu-chan is so mean... I'm just concerned as your best friend..." Matatabi whined softly.

"It's nothing that you need to concern yourself with." Kyuubi replied and looked out the window again, missing the sly smirk that formed on her best friend's face.

"Oh it must be your dear Nii-san right? The only time you refuse to tell me something is when it's about your brother, who I have yet to meet!"

"Keep your voice down!" Kyuubi hissed at her friend. "I already told you that the rental apartment I stay in with my brother is not big enough to hang out at, thus why we usually go to either your place or Hanabi's..."

"You could always invite him out along with us when we go shopping or something..." She suggested.

"Aniki is very busy, with both his schoolwork as well as his part-time job at the Starbuck's coffee joint. He wouldn't have the time to accompany us."

"Hmph, I think you're only hogging him to yourself you bro-con (person with a brother complex)..." Matatabi said with a grin matching that of the Cheshire cat.

Kyuubi sputtered as a red hue covered the majority of her face, "B-bro-con!? What the hell are you saying Baka-neko!"

"I was just kidding... but your reaction is pretty suspicious kitsune-chan~"

The two females had been friends since they met when they were eight, both knowing their counterparts obsession with cats and foxes respectively. Hence the nicknames they sometimes use for each other, both knowing that the other never meant any insult in their words.

"I was just surprised that you said something like that..." Kyuubi huffed with a tint of pink still on her cheeks.

"Sure... anyway, did you hear about the rumour?" Matatabi said; her tone suddenly serious as if someone threw a switch on her personality.

This unusual occurrence causing the redhead to arch an eyebrow in curiosity, "What rumour?"

"Well recently I heard that..." She leaned closer and whispered. "There have been people disappearing..."

"Disappearing?"

"Yeah! I heard that there were even copious amounts of blood and some of the victim's torn clothing at the scene... rumours have been circulating that the clothes looked like they have been shredded by some wild animal with claws." Matatabi smirked as she mimicked a clawing motion with her hand.

Kyuubi froze as her mind replayed the scenario last night; her brother had come home with multiple puncture wounds on both sides of his left shoulder. Upon further recollection, she realised that those wounds could have easily been bite marks of a large animal due to their symmetrical placement.

"Yo Kyuubi?" Matatabi's voice knocked her out of her thoughts.

"I'm sorry, did you say something?"

"You just suddenly froze up after I mentioned the rumours... don't tell me that you actually believe them?" The cat-loving school girl cocked an eyebrow.

"No, no! I think we should start paying attention to the lesson, we can talk later during break time okay?" Kyuubi hastily replied as she turned her attention back to their teacher.

"Fine~"

With Naruto

'Bored... so freaking bored... what to do...'

Those were the recurring thoughts echoing throughout one Uzumaki Naruto's mind as he lay on his bed, cerulean-blue eyes focused on the plain white ceiling above him. Having barely enough funds to meet their daily necessities, the rented apartment was bare of any form of entertainment system.

"Somehow I thought a day off from school would be more enjoyable..."

Thankfully his boredom was solved when his cellphone, originally his father's, started ringing on the bedside table, prompting him to reach over and snatch it off the surface. Checking the caller identification, he noted that it was Haruno Sakura so he flipped open the phone.

"Hello?"

And he was immediately bombarded with a stream of vulgarities mixed among concerned questions so loud that he had to hold the speaker away from his ears to prevent any hearing damage. Giving the enraged and concerned female a few seconds to vent, he finally placed the phone back to his ear.

"Calm down Sakura, I'm perfectly fine."

"What happened? It's not like you to suddenly miss a day of school and when you do, it's usually something serious!"

"Just an injury to my shoulder, Kyuubi already fixed it up so I'm taking the day off to recover. I'll be back in school by tomorrow so don't worry, okay?"

"Fine..." There was a brief pause before she continued in a noticeably softer tone. "There has been a rumour circulating around campus... did Hinata really dump you for that playboy Sasuke?"

"So it's spread that fast huh..."

"I'm sorry... are you alright?"

"Yeah, I've already come to terms with it."

"Do you need me to bring some lunch over for you?"

"Nah, Kyuubi's probably got that covered already... besides... aren't you supposed to be in class at the moment?" Naruto deadpanned over the phone.

"Ah... okay see you tomorrow!"

And she hung up, leaving the blond-haired male staring at the phone in amusement before shutting it and placing it back on the table. Looking at the time on the clock, Naruto decided to walk off his injury and get some fresh air at the same time. So grabbing his house keys and phone, tossing on a simple black muscle shirt with his jeans, he headed out of the apartment.

The idea apparently had some form of merit when the dull throbbing of the wound on his shoulder lessened greatly after a few minutes of aimlessly strolling around. Soon he found himself walking through the small park in the vicinity of their apartment; people were scarce due to it being a weekday.

"Ohayo Naru-chan." A soft, elderly voice called out.

"Ohayo Hiruzen-Jii-chan, how are you doing today?" Naruto greeted in return with his grin in place.

Sarutobi Hiruzen was the landlord of the rented apartment that the siblings stayed in, he was in his mid-sixties with a roughish exterior due to his job prior to retiring. Naruto had paid the aging man a visit one day to pay rent when he was invited into the man's apartment, inside were pictures of Hiruzen in his youth serving in the Japanese Army. It was a top secret branch of the army that he worked in, further prodding by the blond was unsuccessful due to the information being classified.

"Well the cold weather isn't exactly forgiving on these brittle old bones..." Hiruzen smiled wryly causing the blond-haired youth to snort in amusement.

"Brittle old bones? We both know you're anything but brittle old man, so what are you doing out so early?"

A melancholic look settled itself across the elderly man's face, "Ah I guess you don't know. Today is the anniversary of my wife's death; I'm heading to the cemetery to visit her..."

"Sorry Jii-chan, I didn't mean to-"

"It's alright Naruto; I've more or less gotten over it already." Hiruzen interrupted with a stern but kind expression before smiling warmly at the blond. "Well it's been nice catching up, I won't keep you any longer from whatever it is you were doing."

"Ah alright, I'll have the rent ready by the end of the month as usual." Naruto said as he watched his landlord throw a parting wave over his shoulder.

Plopping himself down on a stone bench, he took in a deep breath of cold air. Feeling the chill cleanse the remainder of his drowsiness from his system, he took a look around and nearly chuckled in amusement. He was sitting in the area where he had just been dumped by Hinata the night before; it seems his feet had unconsciously carried him here.

Closing his eyes and listening to the peaceful quiet that surrounded him, he let his mind drift back to the events that had happened to him. The first thing that came to mind was the image of the fur-covered creature that had assaulted him on his way home, fangs and claws glinting in the moonlight, eyes that tracked his every movement and the strength and speed the creature had displayed.

'That was definitely a werewolf... or a lycanthrope as he had mentioned... The wounds are my only reminder that the attack was real and not some hallucination caused by the shock and depression of my break-up. That means that the curse he placed on me would be real as well... only... what did he curse me with?'

Before he could indulge his thoughts further, a sudden scream broke him out of his reverie.

"Kyaa! Somebody help! That man snatched my purse!"

His eyes quickly pinpointed the source of the commotion, a fairly beautiful woman in her mid-twenties was gesturing wildly at a man wearing a black hoodie that was running away. He had reacted even before his brain had time to fully process the situation, his sneaker-clad crunching against the soft grass as he pursued the snatch-thief.

A dull pain pulsed from his shoulder wounds as he ran but he just shrugged it off as adrenaline pumped through his system, serving to further dull the pain and increase his focus. Blue eyes never once losing sight of his prey, watching as the man continued running through the desolate park towards the urban areas.

'Kuso! I can't let him enter the market district; it will be easier for him to slip away unnoticed amongst the crowd...' Naruto cursed as he gritted his teeth, the throbbing of his shoulder getting harder to ignore. 'D-damn, what the hell...'

A sharp burst of pain followed by an indescribable burning sensation from the wound caused him to stumble, his breath catching in his throat as his pupils dilated. The world suddenly becoming silent as he heard his heartbeat slowly dwindle, his vision going blurry as numbness crept up his limbs.

As quick as the sensation came, it vanished as a wave of euphoria flowed through his body. Energy suddenly surging through his limbs as his heartbeat increased to a rate that would be fatal for a human, his eye-colour turned glacier-blue, his nails and teeth seemed to sharpen.

Recovering quickly from his loss of footing, he resumed his chase after the snatch-thief. Except this time the world around him was much clearer, colours were more vibrant and details easier to pick out. His hearing was picking up the heavy panting of the fleeing thief; he could smell the fear and worry wafting off his prey.

Muscles felt denser and more powerful than ever before, it was as if he was crippled before and had only just regained full control of his body. Bunching the muscles in his legs, he crouched and launched skyward in a mind-boggling jump that sent him soaring into the trees.

'**The trees are your friends; the forest is your home... pursue your prey through the tree tops!'**

Following the voice in the back of his head, he let his body take over as he nimbly navigated his way through the branches until he caught up with the thief. With one final leap, the blond launched himself from his vantage point and tackled the fleeing criminal with his entire body. The blow knocked the purse free from his hands and sent it skidding across the ground as the two recovered and glared at each other.

"What the fuck is this? Some punk-ass kid trying to play hero huh?" The man growled as he pulled out a switch-blade from his hoodie's pocket.

Naruto did not bother to dignify the man with a response as his body blurred into action, appearing in front of his opponent in a flash and backhanded the weapon away. Staring at his empty hand in disbelief, the thief barely even registered the fist heading for his face until the last second and by then it was already too late.

The powerful blow connected and launched the man flying into the tree behind him, impacting solidly against the thick trunk and knocking him out. Naruto panted slightly as he slowly came down from his adrenaline high, the improvements fading along with it and leaving him standing there alone.

'W-what the hell just happened to me...?' Naruto glanced at his clenched fist then to the downed form of his opponent; the man's nose was obviously broken with blood flowing from it.

Shaking off the weird feeling, he grabbed the purse from where it had landed and started a light jog towards the location he had come from. It did not take him long to arrive back at the lake, where the lady was still waiting in worry until she saw his form heading towards her with her bag in hand.

"Thank you, thank you so much!" She blurted out as she bowed repetitively with her handbag safely back in her arms. "How can I ever repay you?"

"Ah it's really okay... I just wanted to help." Naruto waved off her thanks with an embarrassed expression on his face.

"Wow, it's rare to find such honest and chivalrous guys like you nowadays!" The woman exclaimed before a sudden epiphany struck her. "I know how I can repay you!"

"I already said that-"

"How about I offer you a job?"

"A job?" Naruto echoed with wide-eyes as his interest had been perked.

"Yeah a job! I recently graduated from a local university and have just inherited the family business from my father since he wanted to fulfil his dream of retiring to the countryside with my mother." She explained with a giddy smile.

"Wow that sounds like quite the accomplishment, what's this family business anyway?" Naruto asked.

"Ah silly me, so excited that I forgot to mention it! I'm sure you've heard of Takigakure (Hidden Waterfall) Springs?"

Naruto's eyes nearly bulged out of his head, "Takigakure Springs? The famous hot springs that are rumoured to be nearly impossible to get in unless you're a high ranking official or somehow related to the owner, the very same company that opened Takigakure no Sato? One of the most successful resorts in Japan at the moment and also just as notoriously hard to get in?"

"Ahaha exactly! I'm Kousaka Suiren, daughter of Kousaka Gensuke and heiress of the Takigakure fortune!" Suiren introduced herself with a bright smile that left the blond-haired teenager blushing slightly. (Suiren is an actual character in Naruto)

Taking some time to collect his thoughts, Naruto finally managed to get a good look at the young heiress in front of him. Suiren was definitely a beauty with her angular facial features and warm brown eyes, her pale-blonde hair flowed down her back as well as forming two long bangs along the sides of her face. She was wearing standard office wear in the form of a black form-fitting blazer over a tight white shirt, black pencil miniskirt that left her smooth creamy-white legs on display and high-heels.

Pushing the thoughts of the beautiful blonde-haired heiress to the back of his mind, "So what exactly do you mean by offering me a job?"

"Well I'm still new to this business and tend to get swamped with work, usually ending with me leaving office late at night. So how about I hire you as an assistant/bodyguard?" She suggested with a smile.

"You do know that I am still schooling at the moment?" Naruto asked with an arched eyebrow.

"Oh I didn't notice! You seem like such a mature young man that I automatically assumed that you were an adult already!" Suiren complimented causing a tinge of pink to appear on her fellow blonde's face.

"Thanks for the offer anyway-"

"Who said I was withdrawing the offer? How about this... we'll exchange numbers and on the nights that I end up staying late at the office, I'll give you a call! Then you can meet up with me in the office and accompany me home after all the work is done, does that sound fair?"

"Ah I don't-"

"Of course you would be paid fairly for your hard work! Hmm... How does two hundred thousand Yen (200,000Y) a month sound?"

"...I'd say you've got yourself a deal Suiren-san!"

"No need to act so formal with me, please feel free to just address me by my name!"

"I'll be in your care then Suiren." Naruto smirked as he bowed to her, earning a pout.

"Oh I just realised I don't even know the name of my hero and newest employee!" Suiren exclaimed suddenly causing him to chuckle as he held out his hand for her to shake.

"Uzumaki Naruto at your service!"

With Kyuubi

Feeling a slight vibration coming from her pencil case, Kyuubi made sure the teacher was busy writing on the board before unzipping it and discreetly checking her cellphone. It was a simple phone that her brother had bought for her as a birthday present; it was so that communicating between each other was easier.

'No need to worry about lunch. I felt better and decided to take a walk.'

Frowning slightly in disapproval of her older brother's actions, she sighed and quickly typed in a short response before slipping her phone back inside the pencil case.

'Fine, always disobeying my instructions...'

"Who was that?" She was startled by the inquisitive voice of her feline-loving friend.

"My baka-aniki decided to go gallivanting around town even with his shoulder injured; I swear if her re-opens the wounds again..." Kyuubi growled as she shook her fist at the empty air.

"Wow, you're really concerned for your brother... maybe that bro-con observation isn't that far off after all." Matatabi giggled when she saw how red her friend's face had become.

"Urusai (Shut up)! Of course I'm concerned, I'm his sister so what is so weird about being concerned about my own brother?"

"Nothing... but you act more like a concerned house-wife than a sister. And there is the fact that you always seem to blush when I insinuate about your brother complex..."

"I don't have a brother complex!" Kyuubi hissed before her voice took on a softer tone. "Aniki has taken care of me ever since our parents died; he has always been there for me when I was sad, lonely and depressed. We only had each other to rely on, well more of me relying on him... so it's obvious that we would be closer than most other siblings."

"...it must be nice to have such a close relationship with your brother. I wish that my own relationship with my older sister could be more like that." Matatabi muttered with a wistful tone.

"You've told me about her before... she's about five years your senior right?"

"Nii Yugito, she's currently schooling in the top university in Japan. Also three time regional gymnastic champion, top academic results in her school, part-time model for a fashion magazine and the favoured child of the family..." Matatabi said sourly as she sketched on her textbook.

"It must be pretty hard to live in the shadow of an over-achieving elder sibling huh?"

"You don't know the half of it... my parents keep pushing me to be more like her! Always comparing my results and achievements to hers, rubbing in my face about how successful my sister is. At the very least, I'm happy that my sis is not a snob about it..."

Kyuubi twirled a pen around with her fingers, "Have you talked to them about it?"

"Haha please, they're too busy worshipping the ground my sister walks upon to even pay attention to my needs." Matatabi snorted in mock amusement.

"Oh I see... well if there is-"

"Anything you two would like to share with the rest of the class? Miss Uzumaki? Miss Nii?" The bespectacled teacher asked whilst glaring at the two.

"Nothing Ebisu-sensei..."

"Very well, so settle down and pay attention." The teacher said as he pushed up his round glasses and resumed teaching.

The two friends could only sigh in relief at escaping without a punishment.

A few hours later

Kyuubi and Matatabi wiped the sweat off their faces after a rigorous sparring session, both of them being a part of their school's Tae-Kwan-Do team. Having taken a shower and changed out of their sweaty attire and into some fresh clothes they had brought from home, on the way out of the school compound, a familiar mop of blond spiky hair caught the redhead's eyes.

"Onii-chan? What are you doing here?" Kyuubi asked in confusion as she approached her older brother, who pushed off the wall and walked towards them with a smile.

"Can't I come and pick my Imouto (little sister) up from school?" Naruto replied with a cheery air about him.

"Umm... is everything alright? You seem... chirpier than usual."

"Let's just say that my luck finally turned around..." He replied cryptically as he ruffled her hair.

Kyuubi pouted at the enigmatic response and his treatment of her as a child, even though she secretly enjoyed the feel of his hand rubbing her head. It was something the blond had always done when she was younger and had difficulty falling asleep, he would gently rub her head as he sang a lullaby.

A sharp nudge in her left flank caused her to face her friend, "What was that for?"

"Get over here!" Matatabi grabbed her hand and pulled the redhead over to the side of the gate, making sure they were out of hearing range of the blond-haired male.

"Hey! What's wrong with you?!" Kyuubi cried out as she rubbed her sore wrist.

"Just to clarify, that guy is your brother?"

"No, I obviously call every stranger I come across 'Onii-chan'... of course he's my brother!"

"You're so cruel kitsune-chan..." Matatabi sniffed as crocodile tears formed in her eyes.

"I didn't do anything!"

"Exactly!" Matatabi exclaimed as she dramatically gestured towards Naruto with wide tear-filled eyes. "How could you not introduce me to your brother? He's like the epitome of sexiness, a real blond hunk!"

Kyuubi blinked before an expression of horror covered her face, "You may be my best friend and like the sister I never had... but that doesn't mean I actually want you as my sister! Stay away from my brother you ero-neko (perverted cat)!"

"It's so not fair that you have such a hot guy as your older brother, I can totally see why you keep hogging him to yourself bro-con..."

"I'm not a bro-con!"

"So does that mean I can have him?"

"NO!"

"That means you are a bro-con... bro-con-kitsune!"

Naruto watched in silent amusement as the two friends gestured at each other wildly whilst speaking in loud whispers, though not loud enough for him to pick up. He was glad that Kyuubi had managed to forge such a strong bond of friendship with the black-blue dyed hair girl; it gave her someone more feminine to confide her female issues with.

'I swear I almost suffered a stroke when she asked me why she was bleeding down there...'

The sun was setting on the horizon when a familiar twinge of pain travelled through his shoulder once more, reminding him of the unknown ailment that had affected his body in the park. Pushing the troubling thoughts to the back of his mind, he chose to focus more on the happier side of life.

Unknowing that the happiness they shared would soon be nothing but a distant memory...

Same undisclosed location

The leaders of the Four Ancestor clans stood before each other once again, except this time they were alone as their bodyguards were busy training back in their respective territories.

"**They had discovered numerous patrols of undead lycans patrolling the vicinity of Torikabuto Castle, estimated strength is already in the hundreds... and that's just what they had viewed on the outside of the castle."**

Kodoku, Daichi, Netami and Yonaka had troubled looks splayed across their muzzles after Netami had finished giving her report about her recent scouting party's findings.

"**These human necromancers are vastly more powerful than what we could have possibly imagined... being able to raise the souls of so many fallen warriors."** Yonaka whispered in a grave tone.

"**This is indeed troubling... I say we rally the other clans scattered throughout the forests in a bid to rid ourselves of this immanent disaster." **Daichi suggested before a loud slam garnered their attention.

"**Unacceptable!" **Kodoku growled lowly as he pounded the stone table. **"The longer we take, the more time the filthy humans have to summon more traitors back into this world. I say we strike soon and we strike hard! Catch them unprepared!"**

"**...both of those ideas have merit."** Yonaka conceded as he closed his eyes in thought.

"**I find myself agreeing more with Daichi's plan of rallying the clans... but Kodoku has a point as well..." **Netami grudgingly admitted.

"**Then I propose a joining of the two." **Daichi said as he looked over at the only female amongst them**. "Netami shall act on our behalf and contact the clans, informing them of the growing threat and forming a larger coalition force. The remaining three of us will gather the best warriors of our clans and lead them as a leading strike force to catch them unawares."**

"**I approve of this plan!"** Kodoku agreed immediately with a smirk on his muzzle.

"**I too agree with this decision..."** Yonaka said.

"**Either way I'm already overruled so I might as well go along with it..."** Netami shrugged indifferently.

"**Then it is settled. Take the next few days to train and spend time with your clan and love ones... we march on Torikabuto Castle in four days' time!"**

* * *

**Damn, this chapter was a little harder than I thought. Did not want to have too short a chapter yet I did not want to force out a longer length at the cost of quality and balance. So I decided to end it off here, not too long yet not too short. I hope that the chapter is decent in both length and quality for all my readers?**

**Not sure if I've mentioned this before but I am probably going to be focusing more on this story than any of my others, since I've really got a set plan laid out for this story.**

**Suiren is a character in the Narutoverse; you can check how she looks like on either Narutowiki or Google images. Can't believe nobody used her before, well the same can be said for Ameyuri as well... so what did you guys think of the chapter? Please review and let me know!**

**Ja ne!**


End file.
